Community interaction has become an important, if not essential component of Ecommerce online marketing. Because internet customers are generally hesitant about buying online from companies they cannot touch or feel in a physical sense, brands solve this dilemma by displaying a more informal persona to their customers. Blogging is one such practice because it sets the customer’s mind at ease and makes them feel safe about purchasing.

Blogging is a work in progress and it requires time to understand your audience and grow a community. But, making some key mistakes can prolong success and cause unnecessary headaches.

#1 – Erratic posting

If you don’t feel you have the time to post consistently, wait until you have the resources to start a blog. There are few things worse than a blog that posts randomly or loses a lot of momentum.

Decide on a schedule before you start, and make plans to follow it. Even if you can only post twice a month, make it consistent because your readers will expect it. Once you gain ground, bump it up to once a week and then once a day to three times a week. The schedule will depend on your target audience and what they desire, but generally a few posts a week is a solid schedule.

#2 – No Interaction

Have you ever been a part of a one-sided conversation? The person runs their mouth without giving you a chance to utter a single word. Blogging without interaction is a form of a one-sided conversation. When your readers leave comments, they want to join the conversation and this requires a conscious effort to talk back!

Get involved in your blog comments, answer questions and thank people for commenting. Make them feel welcome to share their opinions, whether positive or negative, and you will grow your audience as a result.

#3 – No Linking

Link to other websites and blogs to attract more attention to your site. If the sites are following their analytics, they will notice your blog and possibly link to it in a future post. Additionally, sharing the wealth and providing your audience with more fantastic resources shows them you are not egotistical and are genuinely concerned about them.

#4 – No Social Sharing

The main purpose of a blog is to share information and engage in a community conversation. Incorporate your blogging with your social profiles. Add sharing options on your blog posts so readers can re-post them to their profiles. Share your posts on your social profiles as well.

#5 – Too Much Advertising

Blogs are not a vehicle for advertisements. If you post about your products, make it fun and focused on the value they bring to the reader. New product launches and product showcases are valuable as long as they are framed in an engaging manner. Avoid coercive sales techniques and center your blog on providing your audience with information that solves their problems and helps them succeed.

Remember that blogging takes some time and effort to expand. But, focusing on avoiding these mistakes and building a community of trust can give you the “edge” and cause you to build a community at a much faster rate.